Glove forming means and method



1961 R. c. PARRISH ET AL 3,010,623

GLOVE FORMING MEANS AND METHOD Filed Oct. 1, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 u Fl9'. 1

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INVENTORS WILLIAM B. CRANE (5 BY RUSSELL C. FARR/Sb 4 TTOIPNE Y5 Nov.28, 1961 c. PARRISH ET AL 3,010,623

GLOVE FORMING MEANS AND METHOD Filed Oct. 1, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I'zyZ 48 w INVENTORS WILL/AM B. CPA/Y5 5 BY #0619561. 6. FARR/8H 4 TTORIYEKSUnited States Patent 3,010,623 GLOVE FORMING MEANS AND METHOD Russell C.Parrish, Greenville, Ala., and William B.

Crane, Newton, N.C., assignors to Riegel Textile Corporation, acorporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 1, 1958, Ser. No. 764,544 3 Claims.(Cl. 223-78) This invention relates to the forming or shaping of glovesduring the finishing treatment thereof in the course of glovemanufacture, and more particularly to an improved means for enhancingthe forming disposition of a glove on a form therefor and to an improvedforming treatment made possible by this means.

Following the sewing of glove blanks to form a glove structure, theresulting glove structure is normally disposed inside-out and iscustomarily turned to expose the right side and then shaped on a heatedglove fonn. The shaping of the gloves on this form is a finishingtreatment designed to round out or set the glove seams after thereversal thereof when the glove structure is turned, and generally tosmooth out the glove body and fingers in proper form. I

Briefly described, the present invention is characterized by the use ofmeans in combination with a glove form for pressing a glove on the format the finger crotches in a manner that tensions the glove fingers andacts to set and round out the finger seams both at the outside andinside of the glove structure and thereby provide a particularlyadvantageous and consistent forming treatment, as described in furtherdetail below in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a glove turningand forming machine havingforming means embodying the present invention arranged for operation incombination therewith;

FIG. 2 is a partial side elevation corresponding to FIG. 1 andillustrating further the embodiment of the present invention shown inFIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a Wiring diagram illustrating the operating control system forthe embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the reference numeral indicatesgenerally a forming means, as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, arranged accordingto the present invention for use on a glove turning and forming machineof the type disclosed in US. Patent No. 2,286,059, for example.

A glove turning and forming machine of this sort normally comprises aplurality of glove forms 12, suitably four such forms, disposed radiallyin regularly spaced relation about a common axis for indexing to havegloves G placed successively thereon at a first station A, to allowforming treatment of the placed gloves G while indexing past one or moresucceeding stations B and C, and to dispose the placed gloves G afterforming for removal at a final station D before returning to the firststation A.

The glove forms 12 are conventionally of the electrically heated typedesigned to shape and set the glove structure properly through theapplication of heat thereto while carried on the forms so as to besubject to the shaping action thereof. According to usual practice, whenthe placed gloves G reach an upright disposition on the forms 12 at thestation B, an operator is commonly assigned the task of manually workingthe glove structure downwardly on each form 12 during the indexing pauseat the station B for the purpose of obtaining a more effective formingdisposition. The gloves G thus remain on the forms 12, and subject tothe forming heat treatment thereon, while indexing past the station C tothe station D at which stripping means, as indicated at 14, in

FIG. 1 acts to remove the formed glove G and press it.

ice

The gloves G are placed on the forms 12 at the station A from turningforms 16, a like plurality of which are arranged comparably for indexingabout a common axis so as to dispose reversed glove structures g at astation a for turning and placing on the forms 12 at the station A. Thereversed glove structures g are manually disposed on the turning forms16 by an operator at the station b, from which the turning forms 16index in timed relation past stations 0 and d for delivery of the glovestructures g to the station a in position to be turned and placed on theforms 12 at station A by means (indicated generally in FIG. 1 at 18)operating during the indexing pause thereat for this purpose.

The foregoing operating elements of the turning and forming machine areactuated from a suitable drive, such as an electric motor 20, connectedthrough a countershaft at 22 to provide a driving connection at 24 forthe previously mentioned turning means 18, and a further drivingconnection at 26 running to a shaft 28 carrying the continuouslyrotating element 30 of a Geneva motion having the intermittentlyoperated element 32 thereof arranged at the common axis 28 of theturning forms 16 for eifecting the above noted indexing thereof. Fromthe shaft 28 a connecting shaft 34 is geared to operate a similar shaft36 in timed relation for causing a Geneva motion element 38 thereon torotate continuously in relation to a complementary Geneva element 40 atthe common axis 36' of the forms 12 so as to eifect indexing thereof inphase with the turning forms 16. All of the foregoing mechanism of theturning and forming machine follows the familiar prior art arrangementand further reference is made to the previously noted plior US. PatentNo. 2,286,059 for additional details.

According to the present invention, the forming means 10 is arranged onthe turning and forming machine to act on the gloves G while carried onthe forms 12 during the indexing dwell thereof at the station B. As seenin FIG. 1, station B is the position at which the forms 12 extendupwardly with the turned gloves G carried thereon, and it is at thisposition, as previously mentioned, that it has heretofore been common tostation an operator for manually working the gloves G downwardly on theforms 12 to a more eifective forming disposition thereon. The formingmeans 10 of the present invention not only accomplishes this purpose soas to eliminate the manual labor previously required therefor, but alsoaccomplishes it a great deal more effectively and provides formingresults that are not possible by manual manipulation, as will appearmore fully from the detailed description of this forming means 10 thatfollows.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, and in FIG. 2, the forming means 10 comprisesa set of flat prong elements 42 that are spaced sidewise in parallelrelation for extension lengthwise between the finger portions of theforms 12 toward the hand portion thereof, and that are shaped to bearwhen so extended at the finger crotches of the gloves G carried by theforms 12. The prong elements 42 are arranged in this manner at theextending end of a piston rod element 44 of an air motor 46incorporating a doubleacting air cylinder actuated through anelectrically-controlled air valve, as indicated at 48, to extend andretract the piston rod element 44- so as to apply the forming action ofthe set of prong elements 42 to the gloves G in timed relation to theindexing motion of the forms 12; the air motor 46 being supported by aframing upright 50 and brace 52 to position the prong elements 42 inoperating alignment with the forms 12 at the station B.

lar outline with electrically operated elements 54 and 56- thereofarranged, respectively, for admitting compressed air to the air motor 46for selectively extending and retracting the piston rod element 44 thatcarries the prong elements 42.

' cessible for inactivating the forming means readily whenever desired.

Beyond the cutoff switch 64, the line circuit runs in parallel to astep-down transformer at 66 providing 10 volt power, a second step downtransformer at 68 providing 24 volt power, and a protective relay at 70having normally open contacts. The low voltage circuit from the first ofthe above noted transformers 66 has one leg 72 thereof connected incommon to therespective elements 54 and 56 of the air valve 48, whilethe other leg 74 of this circuit is connected first through the contactsof the protective relay 70 so as to open the circuit protectively in theevent of a low voltage condition or loss of power in the line 58.Similar protection is provided against failure of the operating airsupply by an air pressure switch at 76 having normally open contactsconnected serially in the control circuit leg 74. In addition, furthernormally closed contacts at 78 are serially connected in the circuit leg74 for opening. to inactivate the forming means 10 automatically in theevent that a form 12 reaches the station B without carrying a glovethereon,

as will be explained further presently.

Beyond these protective devices, the control circuit leg 74 isfinallyconnected in series through two double pole, double throw, limitswitches 80 and 82, both of which are normally closed to the right asseen in FIG.

3 to complete a circuit through a connection 84 from the limit switch 82to the air valve element 54 for actuating extension of the prongelements 42, while a parallel connection 86 runs from the other pole ofthe limit switch 82 to the other air valve element 56 provided forretracting the prong elements 42. Thme two limit switches 80 and 82 areoperated, respectively, by cams 88 and 90 carried on one of the shafts28 or 36 for the continuously 'rotating Geneva motion elements and 38through .which the turning forms 16 and forms 12 are indexed,

and arranged for actuating operation of the forming means 10 during theindexing dwell of the forms 12 at the station B.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the earns 88 and 90 are indi .cated as beingmounted on the Geneva motion shaft 28 and are shown at the positioninwhich they would previously have caused retraction of therforming meansallowed the limit switch 82 to close on the connection 84 therefrom tothe air valve element 54 so that the form- .ing means 10-will beactivated to extend the prong elements .42 thereof in relation to aglove G carried on a form 12 at the station B, as soon as the indexingdwell thereat commences and the continued rotation of the cam 88 allowsthe limit switch 80 to close.

The forming means prong elements 42 will thereupon remain extended inactive relation to a glove G on a form 12 at the station E untilcontinued rotation of the cam 90 results in throwing the limit switch 82to the pole thereof from which the connection 86 runs to the retractingair valve element 56. The cam 90 is arranged to throw the switch 82 inthis manner sufliciently in advance of the end of the indexing dwell toclear the form 12 for its next indexing movement. Retraction of theforming means prong elements 42 having been effected in this manner, thecams 88 and 90 are relatively arranged so that the limit switch 80 iscaused to open and thereby maintain the forming means inactive duringthe period of indexing movement, while the limit switch 82 is allowed toclose and thereby set the control system for a succeeding extension ofthe forming means prong elements 42, in the manner described above, assoon as the next indexing dwell commences.

During the operation of the control system for extending and retractingthe forming means prong elements 42 in relation to the'indexing forms12, it is desirable to avoid extension of the prong elements 42 inrelation to any form 12 that reaches the station E without having aglove G placed thereon, as will be the case on occasion when regularfeeding of reversed or unturned gloves g to the turning forms 16 isinterrupted for one reason or another. For this purpose, a further lowvoltage circuit is arranged from the previously mentioned secondstep-down transformer 68 with one leg 91 thereof directly grounded andthe other leg 92 connected through a relay 93, controlling the normallyclosed contacts 78 in the control circuit for the air valve 48, and thenrunning to a micro switch 94 from which a feeler arm 95 extends in theindexing path of the forms 12 for feeling contact therewith at thestation B (compare FIGS. 2 and 3).

When a form 12 reaching the station B carries a glove G thereon, theglove structurewill insulate the form 12 in relation to the feeler arm95 so that operation of the forming means 19 will take place unaffectedby the relay 93. If a form 12, however, reaches the station B without aglove G thereon, the feeler arm 95 will be grounded through directcontact with the form 12 and will thereupon complete the low voltagecircuit through leg 92 to energize relay 93 and thereby open contacts 78to inactivate the forming means v10 until a subsequent form 12 reachesstation B with a glove thereon.

The present invention has been described in detail above for purposes ofillustration only and is not intended to be limited by this descriptionor otherwise except as defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

V 1. In combination with a glove form having a hand portion, fingerportions and crotch portions, means for enhancing the formingdisposition of a glove on said form comprising a set of flat prongelements each being in a lengthwise plane substantially perpendicular tothe width of said glove form and being spaced sidewise in parallelrelation for extension lengthwise parallel to and between the fingerportions of said form toward the hand portion thereof, and selectivelyoperable means for resiliently extending said set of prong elementsbetween the finger portions of said form to bear resiliently at thefinger crotches of a glove thereon.

2. In a glove forming machine of the type incorporating a plurality ofglove forms having hand portions,

finger portions and crotch portions and being disposed radially inregularly spaced relation about a common axis for'indexing to havegloves placed successivelythereon at a first station, to allow formingtreatment of said placed gloves while indexing past at least onesucceeding station, and to dispose said placed gloves after forming forremoval at a final station before returning to said first station, theimprovement which comprises means at one of said at least one succeedingstation for enhancing the forming disposition of said placed gloves assaid forms are successively indexed at said station, said meanscomprising a set of flat prong elements each being in a lengthwise planesubstantially perpendicular to the width of said glove form and beingspaced sidewise in parallel relation for extension lengthwise parallelto and between the finger portions of said forms toward the hand portionthereof, and means carrying said set of prong elements on said machinefor resiliently extending said prong elements between the fingerportions of a form indexed at said succeeding station to bearresiliently at the finger crotches of a placed glove during the indexingdwell at said succeeding station.

3. In a glove forming machine of the type incorporating a plurality ofglove forms having hand portions, finger portions and crotch portionsand being disposed radially in regularly spaced relation about a commonaxis for indexing to have gloves spaced successively thereon at a firststation, to allow forming treatment of said placed gloves while indexingpast at least one succeeding station, and to dispose said placed glovesafter forming for removal at a final station before returning to saidfirst station, the combination with said machine of means operating atsaid succeeding station for enhancing the forming disposition of saidplaced gloves as said forms are successively indexed at said succeedingstation, said means comprising a set of flat prong elements spacedsidewise in parallel relation for extension lengthwise between thefinger portions of said forms toward the hand portion thereof,selectively operable means carrying said set of prong elements on saidmachine at said succeeding station for resiliently extending said prongelements between the finger portions of a form indexed thereat, andmeans actuating said selectively operable means in relation to theindexing motion of said forms for extending said set of prong elementsto bear resiliently and exteiiorly at the finger crotches of each placedglove during the indexing dwell of said forms at said succeedingstation, and feeler means for detecting the absence of a placed glove onany of said forms at said succeeding station and thereupon renderingsaid actuating means inoperative.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,038,596 Kellogg Sept. 17, 1912 1,538,263 Ackerman May 19, 19252,286,057 Brownstein June 9, 1942 2,286,059 Brownstein June 9, 19422,431,209 Suftko Nov. 18, 1947 2,436,121 Primus Feb. 17, 1948 2,511,455Boldizzoni June 13, 1950 2,511,456 Boldizzoni June 13, 1950 2,649,943Meyers Aug. 25, 1953 2,716,241 Goodman Aug. 30, 1955

